Online Communications Colleges

Online Communication Degree Programs

Are you interested in all things related to communications? Do you have a natural flair for literature, language, and design? If you have a strong sense of how to express yourself in a variety of circumstances and with different media, then a career in communications may be the ideal fit! Depending upon your specific job description, you may be responsible for conducting market research or public opinion research in order to assess the outcomes of a program. You may also be expected to supervise certain communications programs that are used to effectively describe and promote the products of an organization. In this profession, much of your work will be conducted within a team so it is important that you can effectively work in such a setting. Start working toward your communications or journalism degree today.Communication Training Schools
As you work to obtain a formal degree to work in the industry of communications, you will have the common choices of pursuing an associate’s degree program or a bachelor’s degree program. Should you decide to also pursue a graduate level degree program, your coursework will be of a similar content only with more focus and elaboration. In an undergraduate degree program you can expect to begin with public speaking courses. This is often the core coursework of your degree program and will be teaching you how to thoroughly develop a topic, how to create an organized, effective speech, and how to orally deliver it to your audience. You will likely gain practical experience in areas such as analyzing an audience as a means to understand current opinions, developing ideas that are relative to your topic, efficiently evaluating a topic, and using visual aids to illustrate important points.

Everything you learn in this course will help you be able to speak to many different audiences confidently and effectively. You can also expect to take a mass media course that will teach you about the history of different forms of mass media. You will learn about new trends that are occurring in the media and exploring the effect that they are having on our society. There are many more courses that you will be required to complete to earn your degree; take a moment and request a free information packet from any of the schools on the site that interest you.
With your degree in arts and communications you could pursue popular career options like radio broadcasting, publishing, public relations, graphic artist, television broadcasting, graphic design, or marketing. The possibility of becoming a communications director is also an option. While some of these employment areas may seem more specifically suited to your training and expertise, each of them will use what you have learned within your coursework. Any of the communication training schools listed below will be able to assist you with your training.

Careers Available with a Communications Degree

Communications Degrees – As the title of the degree suggests the main career most graduates are after is a communications position. Often you’ll end up working for a company in a communications role that typically falls under the marketing department. You’ll be responsible for dealing with public matters and being the voice for the company. Within your role most communication specialists write press releases and even assist with copy for brochures and corporate websites. Salaries range from $32,000 to $55,000 on average. It is recommended that you earn at least your Bachelor’s degree in communication.Journalism – With a Bachelor’s of Communication degree you can become an expert in a given field to become a journalist. One of the great things about going into journalism is you can focus on and write about what you like. Many write about current events, sports and now many journalist work remote and even write for blogs. Salaries have a wide range from $30,000 to over $90,000. You don’t need an advanced degree to qualify for many of the available positions. It all comes down to how well of a write you are. Public Relations – As a PR specialist you’ll be involved with conducting interviews as well as media relations. You can aid in managing aspects of association’s annual conferences as well as work closely with outside graphic artists and agencies. You’ll need to have strong written and verbal skills as well as the ability to speak to large groups. PR specialists earn a medium income of $58,500 per year.TV and Radio Broadcasting – Do you have a great voice and would love to be on TV or on the radio? You can even train to be behind the scenes working on production and planning. With so much content digital these days many broadcasters air their shows 100% online. You can qualify for many of the available jobs with a certificate training program. Event Planner – Working with outside vendors and coordinating events can be one of your main responsibilities. You’ll write copy and support the creation of a variety of multimedia content including articles, videos and social media channels to help promote the events you are working on.

Communication Courses taken in College

During your course work in college you’ll take courses specifically designed so you can e successful after graduation. Courses for a communication degree include:- Introduction to Human Communication
- Conflict and negotiation
- English Composition
- Communication History
- Quantitative Communication in Society and Social Influence
- Training and Development

Skills Needed to Succeed in Communications

Being successful in any communications role takes not only the right kind of training but the right type of skills. Listening Skills – In communications you need to have superior listening skills. This gives you the ability to listen to what others are telling you and be able to respond based on the views of the company you are representing. Persuading others is key to being successful. Multicultural – Having international knowledge and even knowing other languages will help you within your career. You’ll need to become a great researcher in emerging markets. Marketing Knowledge – As a communication manager or specialist you’ll need to have advanced product knowledge of the company you are working for. You’ll need to understand their markets as well as understand how to reach those markets.

Steps to Find the Best Online Communications Degree

Research Colleges – Finding a college or university that offers communication majors have never been easier. Your first decision is if you want to earn your degree on campus or online. Earn your communication degree online will give you a broader number of schools to choose from. Make sure to research only schools that are accredited as it will give you more options in the event you ever want to transfer those credits to another school.Type of Education Levels – After you find a college you’ll want to research the type of career you want after graduation. This will help you determine what type of education level you need.
Communications Certificate Program
Most certificate programs are approx. 12 months in length. They are intended to for short term training and will give students an introduction to communications. Since these programs are short in length upon graduation you’ll be qualified for entry level positions only. Associate’s Degree in Communication
The next level in your education is an AA degree. Like most Associate’s degrees you can complete it within 24 months. Usually you can stay in school and move on to the next level.Bachelor’s Degree in Communication
With your Bachelor’s degree you can now qualify for most of the communications careers available. This 4 year degree can also be completed if you are transferring over your credits earned from your Associate’s degree.Application Process – Once you find the communication school you wish to attend then the next step is to formally apply to the school. Schools often have application fees ranging from $50-500 depending on the degree level and school. These are non-refundable fees so make sure you are applying to only those schools you are serious about. Financial Aid – When you apply to a school and are accepted the final stage is to apply for financial aid and scholarships. Most schools have specific scholarships for communications majors so be sure to ask your Admissions Representative when applying what is available.